Arknights: The Life Inside-Chapter 36

The illusory scene vanished.

Like ink dissolving into water, Yoren's pain was wiped away in an instant.

A translucent milky-white light radiated from him, expanding outward like the shockwave of a nuclear blast. It rippled through the air, spreading in every direction before fading into nothingness. Silence returned.

"Clang."

The dagger lodged in his chest slipped free and clattered to the ground.

Yoren's eyes widened. He raised a trembling hand to his chest, fingers pressing against smooth, unbroken skin. The wound that had pierced his heart was gone.

Not just that. The gashes on his arms had vanished, his tattered clothes clinging to his bloodstained body—but beneath the dried crimson, there was no trace of injury.

If he had to describe how he felt in this moment, only one word came to mind:

Rebirth.

The Yoren who had been battered and dying mere moments ago had ceased to exist, as though an unseen force had erased him and rewritten his very being. It was as if the spectral figure from his vision had severed his suffering with a blade, burning his body to ash—leaving behind something new.

But no. He was still himself. This was his body, his flesh. The pain in his left eye had disappeared, along with the uncontrollable surge of power. Yet he knew, with unsettling certainty, that something else had taken root inside him.

Something foreign. Something alive.

Theresis groaned, prying himself from the rubble where Yoren had sent him flying. Despite his fractured ribs and searing pain, he forced himself to stand.

Then he saw Yoren still standing there.

And for the first time, he hesitated.

Theresis was an Avenger. Heisen's purpose was clear—to punish the world, to corrupt, to destroy. To tear down this unjust existence.

And yet, he couldn't even kill this unarmed, injured man.

"Red Knife!!!"

Theresis let out a guttural roar, his voice thick with rage and desperation.

In response, a figure shattered the glass of the 13th-floor window, landing smoothly inside.

Red Knife had arrived.

The fight below had ended, and now, at last, he was here.

Red Knife's sharp gaze locked onto Yoren.

He recognized him—the man Frost Nova had protected the night before. An ordinary civilian, or so he had thought. But now, looking around at the devastation, at Theresis and Big Bob's battered forms, he couldn't comprehend how this was possible.

"What the hell is going on?" he muttered.

"Red Knife, kill him with me!" Theresis snarled, preparing to strike again.

Red Knife didn't need to ask why. He understood immediately—Yoren was the enemy. That was all that mattered.

Big Bob hefted his chainsaw. Red Knife unsheathed his blade. Theresis, grimacing, drew another dagger from his tattered clothes.

The air grew thick with malice, murderous intent pressing down on Yoren from three sides.

Yoren clenched his fists.

He didn't know what was happening to him. He didn't have time to think. The only thing he knew for sure was that the one who had caused all of this was still alive.

Theresis had already killed him once.

No, if he were still the same Yoren, he would be nothing but a corpse by now.

The rage surged again—hotter, deeper, more all-consuming. He didn't need answers. He didn't care. All he wanted was to rip them apart.

A black fire ignited in his left eye. The searing pain shot down his arm, burning his fingertips, but it was insignificant compared to the fury in his heart.

The chainsaw roared to life.

Big Bob charged forward.

"Bang!"

Yoren vanished. In a blink, he reappeared above Big Bob, his foot crashing down like a meteor, slamming the massive man into the floor.

Theresis moved next, his dagger flashing toward Yoren's chest, aiming for the same fatal strike as before.

But Yoren turned in time. The dagger barely pierced an inch before his knee slammed into Theresis' gut.

"Gah!"

Theresis spat blood, his expression twisting in agony, his insides feeling like they'd been pulverized.

Yoren was about to crush his skull when a cold slash tore across his back.

A deep wound. Burning pain.

Red Knife.

Grinding his teeth, Yoren kicked Theresis away and lunged straight for him.

Big Bob, still reeling, forced himself up and rejoined the fight alongside Red Knife.

The battle turned savage.

The building trembled under the force of their blows. Walls cracked. Debris rained onto the streets below.

The tide had shifted.

Theresis lay sprawled on the ground, unmoving, beaten beyond recognition. Only Red Knife and Big Bob remained, and even they were barely holding on.

They had cursed Theresis a thousand times by now. Why had they provoked this lunatic?

Red Knife looked for an opening—any chance to retreat with Theresis—but Yoren's attacks were relentless, leaving no room for escape.

Driven by bloodlust and pain, Yoren had become something else entirely. He had lost himself, his mind a blur of violence. His attacks carried no thought for defense, only the raw instinct to destroy.

Red flames erupted along Red Knife's sword. Gritting his teeth, he activated his Originium skill, swinging the blade toward Yoren with deadly force.

"Bang!"

Yoren didn't dodge. He caught the burning blade with his bare hand.

The steel cut deep, sinking into bone. The flames scorched his flesh, peeling his skin.

But he held firm.

No matter how hard Red Knife tried, he couldn't pull free.

Yoren's grip tightened. His twisted expression contorted with insanity, black flames licking at his other hand as he raised it high.

"Goodbye, Red Knife."

Then, his body froze.

A sudden surge of pain erupted from within. His body rebelled against itself, fresh wounds tearing open without cause.

Black mist poured from him, a violent storm of energy spiraling outward.

"Boom!"

The entire building collapsed.

For the first time in twenty-seven years, Mandel City was alive again.

The Ursus military had infiltrated every street, armed with the best protective measures against the lingering pathogens. Their mission was simple: eliminate every outsider.

Gunfire echoed. Screams rang through the ruined city as battles raged on every corner.

Ursus would not leave until Mandel belonged to them completely.

"Bang!"

Yoren shoved aside the debris, half-dragging himself from the wreckage.

His memory was hazy. He had no idea how much time had passed. The sky had darkened.

The building was gone, reduced to rubble. Theresis and Big Bob had vanished—perhaps fled, perhaps buried beneath the ruins.

Yoren's body ached, broken in ways he couldn't comprehend. His strange power had finally subsided. Unlike before, his wounds weren't healing. This time, the pain was real.

He braced himself, trying to stand.

A shadow passed overhead.

Looking up, he saw a peculiar aircraft hovering above him.

A symbol was emblazoned on its side—one he didn't recognize.

Then, a figure leaped from the aircraft, plummeting straight down.

80 meters.

50 meters.

40 meters.

10 meters.

No parachute. No hesitation.

"Bang!"

Dust exploded as the figure landed beside him.

Slowly, she stood.

Slender limbs. Short blonde ponytail. Crystal-like horns. Scarlet eyes. A massive, unidentified weapon strapped to her back.

She took in the carnage with a delighted smirk, her voice thick with excitement.

"Let's make this place burn."

A large helicopter soared among the clouds. Apart from the two pilots, the cabin was empty except for a girl wrapped in a cloak. Through the small gap in her hat, her light yellow hair could be faintly seen.

"Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap!"

The girl rhythmically kicked the seat in front of her, soft giggles escaping her lips.

One of the young pilots glanced back, his expression tinged with excitement.

He whispered to the older pilot next to him, "Hey, that's the one, right? The special experiment from Rhine Life? I heard even her number and all her details are classified."

The older pilot's face grew serious as he spoke in a low voice.

"Just keep it to yourself. Her existence is a secret. We're only here to follow orders and take her to the designated location."

The young pilot couldn't help but sneak another look behind him.

"Captain, is she human, or some kind of created artificial human?"

"I only know she's severely infected," the older pilot responded curtly. "This mission is critical. Stop talking and put on your protective mask."

The young pilot tightened his mask and sighed as the outline of Mandel City appeared below them.

"Many people will probably die this time," he muttered.

"There's nothing we can do about it," the captain replied. "The higher-ups have decided Rhine Life will conduct an experiment before our Colombian forces arrive. It's supposed to reduce the number of our enemies."

"Yeah, those Ursus bears are really in for trouble..."

Two minutes later, the pilot turned toward the girl in the cloak behind him.

"We've arrived at the designated location. We're preparing to land."

An impatient voice interrupted him.

"Slow down. Open the hatch. I want to get out."

The pilot stared, stunned.

"You're going skydiving? The parachute is in the supply box in the back, but this is an urban area—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the girl stood, stretching and walking toward the cabin door with a strange rectangular object on her back. Her tone turned icy.

"Stop talking. Didn't you hear what I said? Open the door."

"But—"

Without waiting for the pilot to protest further, the girl kicked the plane door.

Bang!

With a loud crash, the entire door was ripped from its hinges by a massive force and flew out into the sky like a cannonball. A gust of wind swept through the cabin, blowing her cloak and hat behind her, leaving her two light yellow ponytails fluttering wildly in the wind.

The pilots were too stunned to speak.

The girl tore off her cloak, revealing a gun-barrel-like object, casting a brief, contemptuous glance back before leaning forward, vanishing out of the cabin.

Bang!

The explosion's debris rained down upon Yoren.

The girl who had fallen from the sky stood, unscathed, amidst the ruins.

"Earth, boil!" she shouted.

Yoren looked up at the girl, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"Are you...?"

The girl lowered her head, noticing Yoren half-buried in the rubble. A cruel smile spread across her face.

"Crack!"

She pressed the slender barrel of her weapon to Yoren's forehead.

"So there's someone alive here. Well, I'll start with you."

Her fingers slowly moved toward the trigger, her smile twisted with malice.

"Hemer said I could use my power however I want this time. You'll be the first to turn to ash before me."

"Ifrit..." Yoren's voice wavered.

The girl paused, her fingers halting on the trigger.

She frowned, studying Yoren with a puzzled look.

She had hardly ever left Experimental Base No. 4 since regaining her memory. She recalled Hemer saying the name Ifrit was known only to core personnel, and they were strictly prohibited from harming anyone aware of it due to risk of losing control.

Ifrit narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Yoren.

"Why do you know my name?"

"I..."

"Forget it. I don't care right now. Since you know me, you can just stand there and watch."

Yoren struggled to pull himself from the rubble, leaning on his hands to stand. With a trembling voice, he called out, "Ifrit, why are you here? Is this part of the Colombian government's plan? Rhine Life is supposed to be a scientific institution. Why are they involved in this war for Originium resources?"

Ifrit smirked, pulling out a small egg-shaped object, an Originium, and holding it in her hand.

"I don't know anything about that. Hemer just sent me here to test this new thing."

From the ruins of the collapsed building, Yoren could see several groups fighting in the distance. The Ursus army and the infected organization were battling on the street below.

"Pass!" Ifrit shouted.

A ball of fire ignited in her palm, and the crystallized horns on her head began to glow red, reflecting the firelight.

With a cold smile, Ifrit slowly raised her weapon and aimed it at the street. The rectangular object on her back began to glow faintly, and an invisible heat wave spread outward, warping the very air around her.

Yoren knew exactly what she was about to do.

Damn, not again...

"Ifrit..." Yoren's voice was strained.

"Hellfire, loaded!" Ifrit declared.

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Before Yoren could reach out to stop her, the air exploded with blinding light.

Boom!

The blast knocked Yoren to the ground, the heatwave from the explosion sending him sprawling. A massive pillar of fire, several meters thick and resembling a giant dragon, shot from the barrel of Ifrit's gun, heading straight toward the street.

The flames illuminated the area, bathing the street in an intense red glow. Moments later, the fire consumed the entire street, extending over a hundred meters. The buildings on either side remained untouched, but everything in between was engulfed in a sea of flames. No screams escaped. The lives of those caught in the inferno were extinguished before they had a chance to even scream.

Amid the fiery glow, Ifrit stood, gazing with satisfaction at her handiwork.

"There wasn't even a scream. That's not enough. Totally not enough. Hahaha!"

Yoren, struggling to stand once more, could hardly believe his eyes.

The destruction before him was unimaginable. He remembered reading Ifrit's operator profile, where it was mentioned that her flamethrower was a masterpiece developed by Rhine Life. The principle was to compress liquefied Originium fuel and use it in combination with Ifrit's power to unleash devastating flames.

However, the profile had also mentioned that the flame's range was limited to 15 meters.

Could it be...?

Three years before the Che City riot, perhaps the flamethrower's power was intentionally concealed by Rhine Life, or its true potential was hidden for some other reason.

There was another possibility:

That during these three years, significant events happened to Rhine Life and Ifrit, which made her unable to wield such abnormal power later on.

So much could change in three years.